Sunset Saturday

Thanksgiving is coming up, and we're already counting the things we are thankful for. Like, being able to have a spontaneous picnic at the beach to watch the sunset.  And being able to live with this happy lunatic.

Mom and Dad talk about how they miss living in places that have all four seasons, but they seem to be adjusting to the tropical winters here just fine.

Especially when they get to watch us play on nights like this.

Dad let us watch Jaws recently. It has completely changed how we view the ocean. Now we are convinced that beneath every wave is a blood-thirsty great white shark. 

So we do our best to scare them away by throwing rocks and shells.

With great intensity.

I like these people alot.

Interviews

It's that time of year, when Mom sets up interviews to check in. Ryan's interview was revealing: Ryan 3yo Interview. We learned that he has been having nightmares about dark shadows, spiders, aliens, superheroes, and Batman. His favorite foods are grapes, chocolate toast, and boogers. 

Girl Scout Skate Party

This year our Girl Scout troop is doing some crazy fun monthly activities. Like skating!

Did you know there is such a thing as a skate buddy? We were tearing up the rink on these things.

By the end of the morning, we were confident enough to go around on our own. I wish we could go skating every day!

Dance Party

Ryan broke out some white boy moves recently that have inspired us to have impromptu Sonos dance parties.  

Mom turned on the blinding flash on her camera, and the night turned into a strobe light rave and/or Christmas card photography shoot.  

We need more pictures of these awesome freckles.

We love that he doesn't force it, just lets the music move him: Dance Cool. 

Boy Time

Mom and Dad are entering the Honeymoon Phase of parenting. We are now at ages where we actually like doing big kid activities with each other and them. Mom says these are the years to enjoy before puberty hormones ruin everything, so they are going to soak up every minute. 

Dad and Ryan are trying to do more Boy things, like fishing.

Ryan liked fishing, but his teachers say all he talks about is going for runs with his Dad and "getting really sweaty so we can drink Gatorade".

He's also learning about college football on Saturdays, and how to make the Hook 'Em Horns sign.

Tennis

I just finished a 2 month trial of tennis with my BFF. It was really fun! Dad has been practicing with me at the playground, as I've drawn above, but this was a real class with a real coach.

We mainly learned how to stand and how to hold the racket to hit the ball.

 Rumor has it that Nana Mugs was a wicked good player back in the day, so I hope I got her tennis gene! Ryan didn't mind watching the practices on Friday afternoons, because he got to swing from a tree and literally roll around in dirt. 

Plus, he got to hang out with the girls after practice when we went out for... you guessed it, chips and guacamole!

Orange Belt Ceremony

This week Ryan earned his orange belt in karate. They had to complete a series of tests that included: Blocking and Grappling. Mom loved it, especially because he ran over to give her high fives after every test. The grappling is hilarious (that's Ryan in the pink helmet, his choice), they basically wrestle as Master Chris teaches them moves to slam the opponent and/or get out of a pinch. The boys really get into it, grunting and struggling like it's Ultimate Fighting Championship. 

The big finale involves breaking a real wood board. This time, the boards are thicker, and they can't use the same strike they used for the Yellow Belt Test. Ryan chose Slice of Fury and ended up shattering his board into 3 pieces!

Boards went flying, leaving this kid righteously proud! We love this class, mainly because Master Chris is awesome. He looks and sounds like Jack Black, so it's basically like Kung Fu Panda karate every Thursday. Plus, he teaches them defensive moves like chopping a wrist and shouting "I don't know you!" if a stranger ever grabs them by the hand and tries to pull them away.

The boys love it too. They are learning discipline, confidence, and how to karate chop bad guys. Our hilarious friend sitting in the back said he wanted his shirt opened at the top "to show his chest hair". I really hope these kids are friends all the way through high school.

Soccer Medals

Summer soccer is finished. We spent our last Saturday morning on the blazing hot field working up a sweat and enjoying ice cold Gatorade and orange slices.

I liked having Mom and Dad cheer for me on the sidelines. But Ryan insisted on playing his games independently. He demanded that Mom and Dad stay at my field while he played all the way on the other side. He liked waving at them every five minutes, and sprinting over for Gatorade at the breaks. But hilariously refused to let them sit with the other helicopter parents: Independent Soccer. 

He only let Mom sit with him on the last day, because he wanted a picture of the medal ceremony.

He was the most excited kid ever in the history of 3-year-old soccer to get his participation medal.

We'll miss those soccer Saturdays, and the Tex-Mex lunches that always followed. We will forever associate sports with Gatorade and guacamole.